Hall Of Mirrors Season Six
by ninaxwings
Summary: This is the story of what happened to the Mallrats and Zoot after Loco's Pain. Can be read as a stand-alone or a sequel, everything will be explained in good time. Zoot and his family vanished after faking his death. The Mallrats are lost at sea. Will their paths cross?
1. Only In Dreams

Bray was trapped in a maze like a rat. A maze built out of mirrors. Everywhere he ran he bumped into his own reflection. He ran down a hall and smacked face-first into a solid wall. The impact knocked him to the ground. When he stood, the maze had disappeared and a long hallway of mirrors replaced it. Was this a dream or was Bray losing grip on his sanity? After all that had been done to him while imprisoned he was unable to distinguish what was real and what wasn't. He carefully began to make his way down the hall. It just continued on and on with no end in sight. He began feeling the glass walls, trying to figure out if there was a false wall that would lead back into the labyrinth. When he looked up, it wasn't his reflection in the mirror. It was his baby sister, Californium. She had been a part of the Locos before she was murdered in a nasty ambush. Back in the days when Bray was Zoot's advisor and the entire clan was together. Bray looked around for something he could use to smash the mirror but there was nothing. When he looked back up, Californium had vanished. His friend and rival Pride, from the Eco's had replaced her.

"Pride," yelled Bray "What's happening?"

Pride opened his mouth and spoke but Bray couldn't hear him. Bray sank to his knees in despair and began to cry. It was all too much. When he looked up, his loyal tribe member Dal had replaced Pride in the mirror. In the Loco days, Dal went by Darkling. He was originally a Loco but became a Mallrat along with Amber and Bray. Zoot promised them to Trudy as life-long bodyguards for Brady before his "death".

"Help me, Dal!" cried Bray. Dal shook his head sadly and turned to walk away. It was as if he was walking deeper into the mirror. Bray decided to bust through the glass wall with brute force. He braced himself and charged at the mirror, ready for his shoulder to take the blow from the breaking glass. He was shocked when he fell straight through the mirror and landed on the other side.

"Bray!" came a familiar voice. He would recognize it anywhere.

When he looked up, his younger sister Kisenian was crouched on the floor next to him. Kisenian was Zoot's twin and right hand. Her hair was braided in standard Techno fashion but her eyes and face matched Zoot's. Bray hadn't seen her since the day of Zoot's funeral. Even then he'd only caught a glimpse of her tracking the Mallrats and Zoot's body.

"Is this real," asked Bray "How are you here?"

"The Technos captured me leaving the city," said Kisenian "I lived among them for a time until they figured out who I was. Then I got shipped here."

"What about Zoot and mmhm" Bray was cut off by Kisenian covering his mouth.

"Shh we mustn't speak of that here," Kisenian, whispered, "They're watching us."

She pulled Bray to his feet and they began running down the endless hall of glass and reflections. A few times Bray thought he saw Zandra and other friends he knew were dead. Suddenly, the hall ended into a large, intricately carved wooden door. Bray and Kisenian considered the door, trying to figure out if it was a trap. Kisenian kicked it open to reveal only blackness. It was like an unknown force drew them through the door. Once both Kisenian and Bray crossed through the door snapped shut behind them. Kisenian tried in vain to force it back open but it was gone. Suddenly, light illuminated the oblivion they had stepped into. They were in a church, standing by an altar. All of their loved ones were gathered in the church's pews. Bray realized he was dressed in a sharp tuxedo and Kisenian was wearing a flowing teal dress. He looked at the crowd gathered in the pews again and spotted his father and mother. That was his first clue that something was wrong. His father was an abusive drunk that drove their beloved mother to her grave long before the virus. Bray would never want him at his wedding. Suddenly the most captivating creature on the face of this earth distracted Bray. It was Amber his one true love from the very beginning. She had started out as Zoot's prisoner and risen up the ranks of the Locos. She was one of the guards promised to Trudy for Brady along with Dal and Bray. She was wearing a simple, strapless white gown that accented her natural beauty. Ebony was right behind her in a teal dress like Kisenian, they were Amber's bridesmaids. Amber joined Bray at the altar and took his hands. Bray beamed back at her.

"Nervous?" Bray spun in surprise and saw Martin at his side, dressed in a tux like Bray. His eyes were the way they had been before the fateful night both he and Kisenian saw the light. Bray was overjoyed. His tribe was all back together, gathered in this church for his wedding. In the front rows sat Zoot's inner circle and the rest of his clan. Sullivan, his little sisters Californium and Lithium. Bray concluded he had passed through purgatory and was now in heaven. Tai-san was at the altar with them, conducting the wedding ceremony.

"Bray, do you take Amber to be your loving and loyal wife?" asked Tai-san. There was a cold glint in her eye. Bray looked to Amber then back to Kisenian.

"Don't, Bray!" yelled Kisenian. Ebony grabbed her and covered her mouth, restraining her. In what world would Ebony be stronger than his warrior sister?

"Do you, Bray?" asked Amber. Bray began to back away but Martin grabbed him and held him in place. Except he wasn't Martin anymore, he had transformed into Zoot.

"Why," Bray cried as he fought "Someone help me!"

Zoot held Bray still and Amber produced a huge medical syringe. Kisenian was in the exact same situation. Ebony had her in a chokehold and she was draining blood into a syringe from Kisenian's arm. Bray screamed and fought but Amber took the blood from him anyway.

"I do, Bray," said Amber "I do I do I do!"

"Pull them out!" Yelled Judd. He was in an operating theatre surrounded by strange laboratory equipment. Bray and Kisenian were strapped to tables, restrained with reality space visors fastened to their heads. There were three women standing near Kisenian and Bray wearing visors as well. Their leader, Eloise removed her visor and so did the other two. She held out her hand expectantly to the two girls. Both of them sank to their knees reverently and presented her with the syringes of blood they had taken from Kisenian and Bray. Watching through the window that divided the theatre from the gallery was a crowd of kids. Every single one of them was dressed like Zoot. Eloise held up the syringes in triumph for her followers to see. Judd had unfastened Bray from the table and was supporting him as they walked out the exit doors. Bray was crying out for Kisenian but too weak to fight. Kisenian had gone completely still on the other table, passed out from shock. The two girls that had taken the blood samples unfastened her restraints and began to carry her from the room. Eloise was making a speech to her followers, about visiting Zoot's realm and communing with him. She spoke of the blood of the brother and the blood of the twin. She emptied both syringes into glass vials and took a sip of each one. Her followers began to chant Zoot's name maniacally. This entire time, Kisenian had been playing possum. She waited until the two girls were carrying her by Eloise, then she struck. Kisenian was still strong and feisty, having arrived at Eloise's compound only a few days before. She slipped out of the two girl's grasp and gave both of them swift rabbit punches. One was floored completely and the other fell to the ground clutching her broken nose. Eloise turned in shock and met Kisenian's boot. Kisenian gave Eloise one of her signature whip-kicks and brought her to the ground. Guards came pouring into the room and seized Kisenian. She took three of them out before they could subdue her.

"You bitch," snarled Kisenian "I'll kill you!"

Eloise rose gracefully and brushed herself off. Thankfully, the vials of blood hadn't spilled or broken in the struggle. She got right in Kisenian's face, close enough to kiss her. She stroked Kisenian's hair and trailed a finger down her cheek.

"And I will break you." Said Eloise with a smirk. Kisenian abruptly head-butted her. Eloise fell back clutching her head in pain.

"That was for my brother!" screamed Kisenian as she was dragged from the room. One of the guards came to Eloise and looked her over.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but she won't be," said Eloise "Prepare them both for the breeding program."

**Author's Note: I really hope you guys like the first chapter. Please review so I know whose still with me. I promise this isn't going to be a re-write of the s6 book. I just need to set the scene and explain what happened to all of the characters from Loco's Pain. Thanks for reading and lots of love.**


	2. Sucker Punch

The situation on the trawler was becoming dire. Amber was holding the Mallrats together by a thread. After fleeing the city in the wake of Mega's virus they had drifted out on the open ocean. None of them were navigators and they couldn't seem to find land anywhere. Ram and Jack were doing their best but it was of little use. The food rations from Zak's trading business had been consumed days ago. Salene hadn't caught any fish in the last couple days but luckily they had rain. Jack's tarp caught ample water for all nineteen of them on the boat. Trudy was in a downward spiral like never before and Amber secretly put her on suicide watch. Most of them slept on the upper deck because of the smell from the single toilet. It had clogged a week into their journey making the cabins uninhabitable. Amber was having a meeting with Jack and Ram, trying to figure out the best direction to sail in. Ram wanted to go back to the city desperately but the tribe voted against him. Once the meeting broke up Amber paced on the deck. She hardly had any room to pace being cramped up on the deck with everyone else. She spotted Ruby sitting toward the back of the boat. She was watching Ebony and Slade. They were sitting together canoodling. Amber narrowed her eyes in hate at the mere thought of Ebony's presence. She felt a pang of longing for Bray and the rest of the Locos. They deserved to be here, not Jynx. Amber's mind went to Bray and the life they had left behind. All in the name of Zoot and where was he now? He left her a stupid book and disappeared from the Eco's camp with the real Ebony and their son. Jynx was Ebony's double. She had assumed Ebony's name and position, only to have it all unravel. Amber thought back to the night Zoot faked his death. If he had died, would she be here now? She looked over at little Bray being held by Ellie and knew she made the right choice. Regretting her past wouldn't do her any good now. Though it would feel good to push Jynx off the boat. Amber stood and crossed to sit with Ruby. Her past was a mystery to the Mallrats but Amber and Jynx knew the truth. In the days when Zoot ruled the city Ruby went by the name Lithium. Amber herself had a different name then too. Ruby was Zoot and Bray's younger sister. Before Amber became a Loco, Lithium had a twin named Californium. She died right before Amber joined them. Ruby had endured many tragedies in her young life. From the pregnancy she begged Sully to terminate to the loss of her lover, Zane. Ruby and Amber had far more in common than the Mallrats would ever know. Ruby glanced around to make sure no one could hear them, and then she spoke.

"These last few days I can't help thinking," said Ruby "What if I left town with my brother, would I be here now?"

Amber put her arm around Ruby and tried to comfort her.

"If I know Zoot he's on a beach somewhere lounging in the sun," Amber tried to lighten the mood "I'm sure Ebony and your nephew are with him. They all left the Eco's camp together."

"I don't even care anymore," said Ruby "Zane lived and died for Zoot, look where that got him."

Zane was the love of Ruby's life. He was more of a man than Slade would ever be. He had given his life so Ruby and Ebony could escape the hotel while it was under attack. Jynx was meant to be the one caught in that battle, not Zane. Ruby hated Jynx even more for the dumb luck that helped her survive that fateful day. Ruby would never forget the way she found him. He'd been tortured and murdered and left on Zoot's bed as a message from the Demon Dogs. After losing Zane she packed up and left town. Ruby opened her saloon in Liberty and never came back. Until right before Mega's virus because she thought she was pregnant with Slade's baby.

"You forget I knew Zane too," said Amber "And he would never want you to be sad over him. He loved you so much."

The boat pitching and nearly capsizing interrupted the conversation. Amber looked behind them and saw the engine was starting to come to life. Her eyes snapped forward and saw Ram had taken the wheel. He was trying to turn them around to head back to the city. Amber flashed back to her Loco persona, Venom and snapped into Venom mode. Her Mallrat friends had seen it before but wrote it off as anger. They didn't know there was a predator among them. In seconds, Amber was engaged in a struggle with Ram. At first she had intended only to get him away from the wheel but he made her angry by shoving her. Slade and Lex dragged him away from the wheel and Jack was able to right the trawler.

"You stupid bitch!" yelled Ram. Lex grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shook him.

"How dare you," snarled Lex "I should throw you over the side, no one would stop me!"

Ram ignored him, assuming the do-gooder Mallrats would never lay a finger on him.

"She'll be the death of us all!" Ram pointed in Amber's face. She smiled at him, and then she cocked her arm back and punched him square in the mouth. He fell to the ground, crying out she had broken his teeth. The Mallrats were staring at her, astounded by the sudden violence she exhibited. Amber calmly took her baby back from Ellie, and went to sit back down by Ruby. They shared a look but remained silent. Jynx was watching them closely; they could feel her eyes boring into them. How long would it be before the Zoot secret got out? Having been a part of it, Amber and Ruby prayed it would be never.

Bray and Kisenian had been put in the same cell. It was cramped, dark, and dirty but at least they weren't tied up. After all this time alone Bray was happy to have his sister with him. He was angry Eloise had found her and furious she was brought here. Bray couldn't help it, though. He had one of his clan back. Unfortunately he had a feeling it wouldn't be for very long. Bray was just Zoot's brother. He couldn't bear to imagine what Eloise's people would do to Zoot's twin. Kisenian was a true fighter though and Bray knew if anyone could get them out of here, it was she. She was still strong and healthy having just come from a Techno base. Kisenian was unsure of which one she'd been shipped out many times. She had concealed her identity until recently. A friend in the Technos had destroyed most of the records and files about her. She flew under the radar posing as a Techno for a while but somehow she was found out. Now here she was, in a holding cell with Bray. He was in terrible condition and he kept asking her if this was reality space.

"It's going to be ok, Bray," said Kisenian "I'm going to get us out of here. I'll protect you, I'll fix what they've done to you." She sat beside him and took his hands. He was beginning to realize Kisenian was real, that she wasn't another simulation. They heard footsteps coming toward the cell door, and Kisenian positioned herself in front of Bray. She was determined to fight and kill her way out. Or die trying to save Bray. A guard opened the door with two bowls of food. Kisenian sprang at him and attacked, slashing at his eyes with her nails. Another guard came behind him and struck her with a nightstick. Kisenian managed to get in a spinning kick before she was overpowered. Then, her worst nightmare came sauntering in. Eloise entered the cell.

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review. There's a story similar to this on my old account sivasurferbabi. Same title and everything but its incomplete and poorly written. In case you didn't already know Loco's Pain and this story are re-writes. I wrote the originals when I was little but I lost all of my old work. Now I'm re-writing this series. I just wanna make sure everyone knows I didn't steal ideas or copy someone else's story. If you read something similar to this back in the day it was my younger self. And if you do come across this story and it's NOT on SivaSuferBabi's account please tell me because then someone really is stealing my ideas.**


	3. Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Kisenian slid into a fighter's stance, ready to defend her brother to the bitter end. Eloise just laughed at her and leaned against the cell wall, arms crossed.

"I have so much fun planned for both of you today," said Eloise "Go ahead, ask me what's in store for you."

Bray had sunk to the ground on the far wall, clutching his head. His memories were all out of order and distorted. He began muttering names under his breath Eloise caught "Venom" and "Sully" in his ramblings. "Don't worry, Bray," said Eloise "We're taking a trip to Zoot's realm today, you'll see your friends."

Eloise had searched every corner of Bray's memories while he was her captive. His memories were so screwed up it was hard to tell what was real and what was in his head. He had one particular fantasy that Eloise was hungry to learn more about. Some of the reality space simulations suggested that Bray had helped Zoot fake his death. If that really happened, she would get the full story from Zoot's twin. Kisenian's mind was strong though and it would take time to break her down. Eloise had to prioritize and right now, she needed to produce an heir of the bloodline. She needed a child by Bray to take full control of the Zootists. He was stubborn though and she'd failed to seduce him. Men, why were they so difficult? At least now that Kisenian was here Eloise had a back-up plan. Getting a sperm sample from Bray was next to impossible. Taking Kisenian's eggs would be much easier. Then, Eloise would be able to produce many heirs of Zoot's own blood. An elite super-race controlled by Eloise alone. She could even be implanted with one of Kisenian's eggs and act as a surrogate. She already had the procedure scheduled for Kisenian she just wanted to toy with her prey first.

"Do you know what it is I'm trying to do here?" Eloise asked demurely.

"You're all a bunch of nutbags," snarled Kisenian "My twin wasn't some visionary. Just another street kid!"

Eloise snapped her fingers and two guards came into the cell. Eloise nodded to one of them and he twisted Kisenian's arm and pinned her to the wall.

"Get your hands off her!" yelled Bray. He rounded on the guard to attack but the other guard restrained him.

"Oh Kisenian, I had such a difficult time finding you," said Eloise "Your little friend Mega did a pretty good job covering your tracks."

Eloise reached out and pulled up Kisenian's shirt, revealing a tattoo on her lower back. It was an original Loco design most of the inner circle had one. Bray's was on his shoulder.

"Congrats, you found my tramp stamp I'll carry babies for you now." Kisenian wasn't going to let Eloise psyche her out. Eloise responded with a peel of bubbling laughter.

"We don't need you to carry them, oh no we can't have Zoot's twin getting fat and slow," Eloise snapped her fingers at the guards "Take the girl to her appointment and Bray to the theatre."

Kisenian and Bray fought and struggled but eventually Kisenian was dragged away from him. He watched her disappear in despair afraid he would never see her again.

"Eloise," said Bray "I'll do everything you ask. Just don't do this to my sister."

Eloise leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. Bray gritted his teeth and returned it. He had to get Kisenian out of here before the Zootists went through with Eloise's plan. Even if he had to give up his dignity.

Just when the Mallrats were beginning to give up hope, Jack spotted another ship on the horizon. It was massive perhaps a naval ship or maybe it was carrying cargo. Whether it was occupied or not, the ship was their only hope of survival. Jack steered the trawler and came up alongside the ship. They were on the last fumes of fuel. There was a huge gap between the ship and the trawler and Jack had to remain behind the wheel to keep the trawler steady. Darryl stood on the roof of the wheelhouse and started helping the others jump the gap. Slade and Lex went first then pulled Ruby up after them. When it was time for Trudy and Brady to make the jump, Lex rigged up some ropes to make a safety harness for Brady. Once she and Trudy were on the deck they did the same for little Bray and Amber. May almost fell in the gap between the two ships but Slade caught her and hauled her over the side. The tendons in his arms cried out in agony at the sudden weight. May clambered onto the deck and Zak greeted her, overjoyed she had made it.

"That was close." Panted May. May's close call was nothing compared to what Jack was facing now. It was he and Ebony left on the trawler. Ebony noticed Amber's journal abandoned on the deck of the trawler and slipped it into her pack. It would make good reading when she had some time to kill. She climbed on top of the wheelhouse and made the leap. Lex thought about letting her fall but pulled her up anyways. Now it was just Jack. He had no one to help steady the trawler so he had to jump, and fast. He fell short and for a moment he could feel himself dropping, gravity pushing him down into the ocean. Slade lunged over the side and caught his arm, Lex and Jay grabbed Slade's legs so he didn't fall with Jack. The rest of the tribe helped them pull the human ladder back up. Slade came first, then Jack. Ellie threw her arms around him and kissed him; elated he was by her side. The tribe gathered on the deck and watched the trawler drift away from them. They were safe, but for how long? What would they find on this ghost ship?

Sully was at the desk in his office, nodding in and out of consciousness. He now worked for a tribe of mercenaries called Legion. Their latest assignment was being carried out on a huge oil rigger in the middle of the ocean. The ship had been converted into a fortress for transporting slaves. He suspected Legion was looking for someone specific. Normally they gathered slaves and traded them but Sully knew there was something lurking beneath the surface. Maybe even something to do with his past. It wouldn't surprise him if the ship's captain knew about his ties to Zoot. Like Kisenian, he had spent time among the Technos as one of them. When Ram came to the city Sully was assigned to the invasion. That was how he got separated from Kisenian. Mega fixed it so she would be sent to a different base. Sully ditched his uniform the moment he arrived and went to warn his two little brothers at the Wrecking Crew's old base. Matthias and Parker had both been taken by the time he got there they were forever lost to the Techno work camps. He went looking for Jynx and found that she was city leader now. He was confused and hurt when she chose Jay over him and pretended like she never knew Sully. He had spent some time as a Mallrat, helping them set up a hospital in the city. They knew him as "Patch". What they didn't know was that he was among the ones that stole medical supplies from the hospital's stores. He had developed a taste for opiate-based painkillers and nothing got in the way of his fix. The drugs made him clumsy and sloppy and the Mallrats never figured out his secret. Amber and Trudy knew who he was but they agreed to conceal his true identity. Zoot had honored his deal with Trudy after all; she owed her silence to the clan. During his travels to different camps and bases he exchanged his medical services for the drugs he craved so much. He had been traded around many times and eventually Legion's leader bought him. He'd lost track of how long he'd been on the oil rigger and gave up hope on ever seeing his friends again. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door and one of the ship's crew entered the sick bay. It was Karin, the captain's favorite pet. Her face was hideously scarred and she was just as evil and twisted as the rest of them.

"Special delivery." said Karin with fascination in her voice. She gave Sully a handful of pills that he happily accepted.

"Thanks." Said Sully. He had gone through periods of horrible drug withdrawal between bases and wished to never repeat the experience. The captain seemed to have unlimited resources and as long as Sully did his job, he was taken care of.

"Can I watch?" asked Karin. Sully's drug habit was intriguing to her. She didn't quite understand how he maintained it in this apocalyptic world.

"Sure, I don't care." said Sully. He took two of the pills and put them on a metal spoon. He used a lighter to crush them and drew up water in a syringe. He squirted the water into the spoon and stirred the power around, mixing it up. He cooked the drugs with a lighter and Karin gasped in surprise when the spoon almost bubbled over.

"Why'd you burn em?" asked Karin.

"To sterilize it." Sully snapped, irritated she kept interrupting his ritual. He dropped a tiny ball of cotton into the spoon and drew the concoction up into the needle. He flicked at his arm until he had a decent vein, and then he stuck himself. He pulled back the plunger a tiny bit and blood rushed into the syringe.

"Wow you've got one." Said Karin. Sully grinned and pushed the plunger. Within a minute he was wrapped in dreamy opiate bliss. His head tilted back and he started nodding again. Karin grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"This is why the captain makes somebody watch you," she said "Don't go and OD again."

Sully shook his head and came back to the conversation.

"I'm fine." He insisted.

"Yeah you look fine," sneered Karin "That stuff really makes you tick, huh?"

Sully grinned at her and slowly nodded his head again.

"Happiness is a warm gun." He mumbled, remembering the Beatles song from before the virus. Karin eventually got him out of his office and up on the deck. He had a new group of slaves to help categorize.

**Author's note: I really hope you guys liked it. If there's anything you think I'm leaving out of the story tell me. One of my friends from the tribe forum asked if Dal could be in Loco's Pain so I wrote him in. I listen to my readers and try to write with all of your comments in mind. What do you guys think about Sully's predicament? I know it was a stretch but I've had his character all planned out from the beginning and I really wanted to stay true to my original ideas. I'm following the canon from the s6 book but I'm trying to shake it up and weave my story in with the real one. So review and let me know how I'm doing cause I depend on you guys to steer me straight if I go off-track. **


	4. Final Escape

Bray had been allowed to shower and his wounds had been seen to. His ratty clothes were even replaced by a suit. Two guards escorted him from his cell to the Zootist's living quarters. He was more than worried about Kisenian. He hadn't seen her since the guards took her away. He hoped Eloise had delayed the procedure that would take Kisenian's ability to procreate. At the moment Bray couldn't think of anything more horrible. Not only would Kisenian be traumatized, Eloise and her people would gain ownership of Zoot's bloodline. His future nieces and nephews would be Zoot clones mothered by Eloise. The thought made Bray sick to his stomach. The guards brought him to a set of double doors and knocked.

"Send him in then get lost!" yelled Eloise from the other side. Good, the guards wouldn't be around while Bray made his play. The door swung open and Eloise leaned against the frame. She was wearing a long, black silk dressing gown. There was a lit fireplace crackling behind her and the light reflected off her dress. She grabbed Bray by his tie and brought him into the room. The doors shut behind him and Eloise lead him to the bed. She lived in such opulence it was hard to believe this room was part of the Zootist compound.

"I'm all yours, Eloise," said Bray seductively "Do what you want with me."

"Gladly," Eloise purred, "If you're nice to me, we can talk about moving you somewhere more comfortable."

Bray went along with it. For a moment, he felt himself being drawn into Eloise's entrancing beauty. Her black hair hung long and straight down her back, contrasting perfecting with her dress and makeup. Eloise untied his hands and began undressing Bray. She let her dress fall to the floor and Bray grabbed her arms, using the control to roll Eloise onto her back. In one swift movement, he grabbed the rope from the floor and forced Eloise's arms behind her back. Bray laughed at her as he tied the rope in sailor's knots.

"My people will destroy you!" yelled Eloise. Bray grabbed her throat and squeezed with all of his might.

"Tell me where my sister is!" Bray shook her to make his point. Eloise gasped for breath but Bray was all out of mercy. "Tell me or die!"

"The maternity wing..The maternity wing!" Eloise choked out.

Bray used the tie to gag her and knocked her out with a blow to the face. Bray left her naked and bound on the floor and crept out into the corridor. He ran down metallic silver hallways following signs for the maternity ward. The compound was huge and the labyrinth of halls reminded him of the maze of mirrors from reality space. Bray and his sibling shared a fear of broken glass. Martin and Kisenian were in an incident before the virus that involved large panels of glass breaking. Bray suspected that was where Eloise got the hall of mirrors simulation from. She built a nightmare realm out of Bray's deepest fears. Suddenly an alarm began to sound. Bray figured that the guards had found Eloise or she got loose. What mattered was that Bray was running out of time. He rounded a corner and smacked face-first into Judd, the scientist in charge of monitoring his health. Bray heard footsteps behind him and two guards advanced toward him.

"Seize him!" yelled Judd.

Amber and the Mallrats were exploring the huge cargo ship they had found. So far, it appeared to be abandoned. Slade, Zak and Darryl were up on the deck, breaking open containers to search for supplies. May and Ruby were helping them sort through the contents of the containers. Jack and Ram were exploring the deck, doing a quick perimeter sweep of the ship's surface. The ship was several hundred feet long and it would take some time to explore every inch. Amber took the rest of the tribe and began searching for the bridge or a control room. There was a huge tower-like structure toward the back of the ship that had to be living quarters. Hopefully, the control room would be at the top of the tower. Amber instructed Salene to stay at the bottom of the tower with Gel and the rest of the kids. Trudy gave Brady to Gel and Salene held little Bray. One by one, they began to climb the fire escape. Jay and Lex went first with Amber and Trudy behind them. Amber was glad that Trudy had seemingly slipped back into Eco-warrior mode. Amber took a quick glance over her shoulder and instantly regretted it. Salene and Gel were like tiny ants on the deck. Amber felt so small clinging to the ladder, a tiny dot against the horizon. Jay reached the top of the tower first and helped Amber and Trudy onto the platform. Jay tried to open the door to the bridge but it was rusted shut.

"What now?" asked Trudy.

"You guys back up, I have my keys with me." Lex laughed as the others took a few steps back. He charged at the door and it cracked open from the impact. Lex fell back in the opposite direction, his head ringing.

"Nice, Lex." Said Jay, extending his hand to help Lex up.

"I thought you guys would like that." Said Lex. He and Jay went through the door first and gasped in surprise at what they found. Trudy and Amber came behind them. Trudy started screaming at the top of her lungs, and then she fainted in shock. Slade and Zak heard her cries and came running to the tower.

"Up there!" cried Salene, pointing to the fire escape. She and Gel were trying to comfort Brady. Brady had heard Trudy's screaming and started crying. Slade and Zak climbed the tower and met Jay, Lex and Amber.

"What the hell happened?" asked Zak. Amber knelt down to check on Trudy and pointed to the other side of the bridge.

"They happened." Amber replied. Slade and Zak suddenly realized they had found the ship's crew. There was a cluster of skeletons in the bridge with them.

Bray circled the two guards, ready to attack. Judd waited until their backs were turned, then he stabbed one of them with a needle. He depressed the plunger and the guard blacked out. Bray used the distraction to knock the other guard out with a punch.

"Where is she?" asked Bray.

"Follow me!" said Judd. He started running down one of the corridors. Bray followed and paused when he came to a window. This had to be the maternity ward; there was a room full of newborns on the other side of the window. Judd doubled back and grabbed Bray's arm.

"What is this place?' asked Bray.

"There's no time!" cried Judd. He kept his grip on Bray and headed for one of the surgery suites. Kisenian was nearby in the maternity wing's ICU. She was recovering from the egg-retrieval procedure. Judd came to the door and Bray kicked it open. There was guard right inside the door but Bray already had the drop on him. Bray slammed his head into the wall and accidentally broke his neck.

"Whoops." Said Bray as the guard's body dropped to the floor.

"Bray?" came Kisenian's voice. Bray ran over to the bed and pulled back the curtains around it. Kisenian was strapped to the bed wearing a hospital gown.

"It's ok, it's ok I'm going to get you out of here." Bray mumbled as he freed her hands and feet. Judd locked the door as the sound of footsteps ran by.

"Hurry up." Hissed Judd.

"She took them, Bray," said Kisenian "She took all of them."

Bray's heart sank. It was too late; Eloise had gone through with her insane plan. Bray found Kisenian's clothes and shoved them into her hands.

"Get dressed, we're leaving!" whispered Bray. He joined Judd at the door and they turned around to give Kisenian some privacy. She snapped out of the trance she was in at the prospect of escape. She put her boots back on over her jeans and slipped into her shirt.

"Good to go? Asked Judd. Kisenian nodded. Judd swung the door open and they made a mad dash in the direction they had come from.

"Where are we going?" asked Kisenian, afraid she was running into a trap.

"This way." Judd made a turn and opened a door that lead to a staircase. Kisenian and Bray took the stairs two at a time. At the bottom, Kisenian could see a little red sign that said, "Exit". Judd followed them down the stairs and threw the emergency doors open. Bray and Kisenian darted ahead of him, eager to greet the night.

**Author's note: What do you guys think so far? Also, which characters would you like me to focus on?**

** Ebony17Pandc – I hope your kids feel better. Ebony and Zoot will be entering the story very soon don't worry. Thanks so much for sticking with me.**

** Jellysnakes you still out there? **


	5. Ghost Ship

Bray and Kisenian put as much distance between them and Eloise as possible. Kisenian was still drugged from the procedure she underwent and she kept tripping over her feet. Judd helped her up and put her arm over his shoulders, supporting her. They stopped for a moment so Kisenian could catch her breath. Bray stretched and inhaled deeply, savoring the taste of freedom. There was a huge spotlight combing the woods for the escaped prisoners. It hadn't come close to finding them luckily. They could also hear four-wheelers moving through the woods a few miles behind them.

"Bray," said Judd "Come here." Judd crooked his finger for Bray to come closer.

"What is it?" Bray whispered so Kisenian wouldn't overhear them.

"We have to split up," Judd replied "Take Kisenian and get her far away from here."

"No," said Bray "It's suicide, we'll all die."

"Bray, please," said Judd "It doesn't matter if I escape, you and your sister mustn't get captured. Go!"

Bray came back over to Kisenian and held one of her hands.

"We have to run, Cassandra, are you ready?" asked Bray.

"I'm scared, Bray!" Kisenian began to cry. Bray held onto her hand and started walking, pulling her with him.

"Goodbye, Kisenian." Said Judd. Before either of them could reply he turned around and ran in the opposite direction. They heard barking and realized Eloise had released sniffer dogs to find them.

"Come on, run, run!" said Bray. Kisenian matched pace with him and they sprinted through the woods. Bray sincerely hoped they would meet back up with Judd. Eloise must have the entire compound looking for him. It reminded Bray of the Loco days. They were always chasing or being chased by one tribe or another.

"They're gaining on us." Said Kisenian, panic-stricken. Bray dropped to the ground and began to roll in the dirt. He grabbed Kisenian's arm and pulled her down with him.

"Roll, come on roll!" exclaimed Bray "It'll throw them off our scent."

Kisenian and Bray rolled and rubbed dirt all over their bodies.

"Maybe we should split up too." Said Kisenian.

As if on cue, they heard screaming from some distance away followed by gunfire. Bray got to his feet and pulled Kisenian up.

"We are never getting separated ever again." Bray said calmly.

"Poor Judd," sniffed Kisenian "They got him."

She and Bray took off running again. They had no idea where they were geographically. All they knew was that they had to run like the devil was chasing them.

The Mallrats had removed the skeletons from the cargo ship's bridge and laid them out on the deck. They found a few more in the kitchen and some of the cabins. They couldn't really leave them where they were. The tribe had done a full sweep of the ship and confirmed they truly were alone. Except for the ghosts of the crew of course. Amber was leaning against the railing on the deck, breathing in the salty air. She looked up at the night sky and for a moment she longed for Bray. He was dead, a ghost just like the ship's crew. She used to take comfort in knowing Bray was still out there. That he was looking up at the same sky as Amber. She loved Jay but Bray was the father of her child, her one true love. Ruby joined her, she walked over and put her arm around Amber's shoulders.

"Thinking about Venom?" asked Ruby.

"Are you thinking about Lithium?" Amber quipped back. Ruby laughed and shook her head.

"I like being Ruby, I'm glad the Loco day are over." Ruby responded.

Amber didn't feel the same way. She hoped and longed for the day she could be Venom again. Amber was a cover story that had taken over her life. One little promise to Zoot became a lifetime of dedicated servitude. Amber, Dal and Bray had given their lives to keep Brady in Trudy's arms. Dal died in a run-in with the Chosen, the ultimate sacrifice. Amber hated Trudy for becoming Supreme Mother and betraying their bond. Not just to Amber but for turning on Dal and Bray as well. Bray, her thoughts kept coming back to Bray.

"I was thinking of Bray I just miss him so much." Said Amber "Do you ever get over it?"

Ruby was silent for a moment. She thought of Zane's brutal death and their final kiss.

"Even after all this time, I still dream about Zane," said Ruby "I think about him when I'm with Slade. "

"Do you ever wish Slade was somebody else?" Amber sighed.

"Like you wish Bray could take Jay's place?" Ruby quipped "All the time."

"But Jay is a good man," said Amber "Slade could never measure up to Zane."

"Talking about me, ladies?" came Jay's voice. Amber and Ruby whirled around. While they were talking, the rest of the tribe had gathered on the deck for the crew's funeral. They were waiting for Amber to speak. Jay pulled Amber into his arms and kissed her cheek. "We're waiting for our fearless leader to give yet another brilliant speech."

Ruby winked at her over Jay's shoulder. Amber knew Jay was one of the good ones and she did love him. But not the way she loved Bray.

"We are gathered here today to give these brave people a proper sendoff," Amber started "We are so grateful for all we've been given from you. We never knew you, but we thank you. Let's have a moment of silence for our fallen friends. Pride, Dal, Siva, Java, Zandra and Mega. You live on in our memories."

"Mega was no friend of ours." Ebony muttered under her breath. Slade threw her a look of contempt and stomped away from the funeral. Ebony attempted to go after him but Ruby beat her to it. Ebony backed off, humiliated. Jack, Darryl and Zak started tossing the skeletons into the water. Zak said a prayer aloud for each one as they were put to rest. The funeral broke up and everyone went his or her separate ways. Gel was eager to shower and Lex was eager to shower with her. Amber laughed as they walked away, Gel hanging on Lex's arm. Jay wrapped his arms around Amber and they began to walk to the living quarters. Salene had promised to make their first family dinner in ages. Amber wondered what Jay would think of Venom. Would he love her Loco persona as much as he loved her? She was glad she didn't have to worry about him finding out. Jynx would never tell, she would never give up Ebony's identity. Little did Amber know, Jynx was in her cabin scheming. She was reading what she thought was Amber's diary. It was actually a hand-written account of all the secrets shrouding Zoot's "death". Some of it was even in Zoots handwriting. Jynx laughed aloud and snapped the book shut. Information certainly was power. Just not at this particular moment.

While the bulk of the tribe was having dinner in the galley, Jack and Ram were in the bridge. They were trying to study the ship's controls. Jay and Amber made plates of food for the four of them and carried them up to the bridge. Jack and Ram were arguing over a control panel. None of the buttons or levers was labeled in English. Jay set down a plate for Ram and Amber gave Jack his dinner.

"Did you wash your hands?" asked Ram

"Always for you." Replied Jay. They sat at a table and ate together; it was all very strange having dinner with Ram, public enemy number one.

"So what's the deal with the controls?" asked Amber. Ram took a huge bite and talked with his mouth full.

"It's all in frigging Chinese." Ram chewed like a cow as he spoke.

"But can you figure it out?" asked Jay.

All of a sudden the fire escape door swinging open interrupted the conversation. There was no one on the ledge outside, just the night sky.

"That's weird." Said Jack. He put his fork down and walked out on the ledge, checking if someone was watching them. Satisfied it was only the wind, Jack turned to close the door and come back inside. A sudden gale of wind caused the metal door to swing wildly. It struck Jack and he stumbled, he lost his footing and nearly fell from the platform. He managed to grip onto the edge.

"Help me!" yelled Jack. Jay, Amber and Ram forced the door back open. It was like something wanted to hold it shut from the other side. Once they got on the platform Jay pulled Jack back up. Amber and Ram grabbed his arms and dragged him back through the door into the bridge. Jay carefully locked the door behind them and crouched down by Jack.

"Are you okay?" asked Jay "What happened?"

Jack took some deep breaths and put his hand over his heart, it was beating wildly.

"I just, I went out there and it was like something pushed me." Jack stuttered out.

"The door hit you." Said Jay.

"No, no no no after the door!" exclaimed Jack.

"Calm down, Jacky-boy you look like you've seen a ghost." Ram laughed.

"Amber, we have to get off this ship and soon," said Jack "Something is wrong, the ship is cursed!"

"Oh yeah, a ghost ship," said Ram "That's a new one."

Amber reached out and grabbed Ram by the throat. She was at her breaking point and Ram's attitude enraged her.

"Shut it, you have no right to speak!" Amber shook Ram as she spoke.

"Amber!" said Jay; shocked at the volcanic violence Amber was prone to these days. He got her to release Ram and the meeting broke up.

"There's no such thing as ghosts," said Jay "We need to get some sleep, that's all."

Jay led Amber away and they left to get little Bray. For a moment Amber caught herself wondering, what if the ship really was haunted?

**Author's note: I hope you guys like where the story's going.**

** Jellysnakes I'm so happy to hear from you. If you guys keep commenting I'll have this knocked out in no time. I wait until at least 2 people have asked for a new chapter, then I write one. I thought Ebony and Zoot could be in this chapter but I'm just not there yet. Don't worry though they'll appear soon. Keep reading and write me if you want to ask me something. Or if there's something you'd like to read in the story. Chances are I'll write it.**


	6. Cabin Fever

Bray and Kisenian escaped from Eloise's compound in the dead of night. They were far from done with running for their lives though. They climbed a chain-link fence and crossed into an endless wasteland. It was like a bomb had been dropped and it created craters in the land. There was no shade or water, no sign of any living organism. There were a few prickly desert plants that provided an endless source irritation. Kisenian accidentally stepped on one of the plants and screamed as its spines pierced through her boot. She sank to her knees and cried out for her brother.

"Bray, get it out." Kisenian moaned from the ground. Bray sat and carefully propped Kisenian's leg over his lap. Kisenian was always so tough. She was so much like Zoot it was strange that Bray was taking care of her now. The spines dug into his fingers as he ripped the burr from Kisenian's foot. Both of them screamed in agony at the same time.

"Thanks," Said Kisenian "You want me to get that?"

Ironically enough, the same burr was now embedded into Bray's fingers.

"Please." Said Bray. The plant reminded him of the needles Eloise was constantly pricking him with. Kisenian pulled the sticker out of Bray's hand and threw it far from their path.

"How's that leg?" asked Kisenian. Bray had cut himself on some rocks the day before. The wound was now infected and it pained Bray greatly.

"It's spectacular," said Bray "Now let's move."

He took Kisenian's hand and they both stood up together. Bray leaned on her for support and they continued deeper into the wasteland. They walked for a few days; Bray was unsure of how long they had been free for. If you could call this freedom. For a moment, Bray longed for the air-conditioned compound and his dark, damp cell. There was some rain that provided a little relief from the sun. Bray and Kisenian walked around with their mouths wide open, trying to catch the drops. Kisenian laughed at Bray and he spit rainwater at her. For a moment they were children again, playing in the rain. Kisenian slid in the mud and when Bray tried to help her up she pulled him down in the mud with her. They laughed and reveled in the cool, damp earth.

"Do you think we'll make it out of here alive?" asked Kisenian. She rolled onto her belly and traced her fingers through the mud. Bray sat up on his elbows and faced the opposite direction.

"Of course we will." Replied Bray.

"I wish I had your confidence." Kisenian sighed. Suddenly, Bray spotted some sort of structure on the horizon. Maybe it was a shack or a big tent, whatever it was it would provide protection from the sun.

"You have something better," Bray said with a smile "You have Zoot's confidence."

Bray missed his younger brother terribly. Having Kisenian in his life again was surreal and Bray loved it. It was almost like having Zoot back. Bray always felt Kisenian was more Loco than the rest of the clan. Maybe even more Loco than Zoot himself. Bray shook his head and dismissed his Zoot thoughts. "Get up, come on I want to move while we have shade." Bray got Kisenian moving again. They made it to the structure Bray had spotted which turned out to be an abandoned jeep. It had already been picked over and raided many times. They took shelter in the back seat, Kisenian resting her weight on Bray. She curled up in a ball and fell asleep in her brother's arms. Bray stroked her braids as she slept, the queen was so still and peaceful Bray didn't want to wake her.

"It's going to be ok," Bray whispered to his little sister "I'm going to take care of you, it's all gonna be fine."

Eventually Bray fell asleep as well. The two rested and regained their strength; they would certainly need to be strong in the coming days.

Amber had found a hand-written account of the ship's voyage by one of the ship's doctors. Dr. Jane Gideon wrote of a virus that killed the entire ship's crew and spread to the rest of the fleet. It started with their ship and spread to the entire fleet of the United Nations Task Force, whatever that was. The tribe learned the name of their ship was the Jzhao Li from Gideon's journal. It was a Chinese merchant ship carrying supplies that were vital to this "Initiative" referred to in Gideon's journal. Gideon called the virus "R18SYT" and also reported that it mutated. The crew took some sort of serum but it didn't work. This new virus overwhelmed Gideon and her medical team. They radioed but no help ever came for the crew. Every single one of them suffered and died. Amber snapped the journal shut and everyone began yelling at once. Amber had called for all of them to come to the bridge for the journal to be read. She felt the entire tribe had a right to know what was in the journal. After reading it aloud, she wished she had kept it under wraps. Gel was already in a panic and Lex was fuelling her fear, causing it to spread to the children as well.

"If the serum didn't save the crew, it's a new virus!" said Lex

"No, Lex, we cracked the virus and we've built up an immunity." Salene silenced him with logic.

"Salene is right," said Amber "New virus or no virus we're all going to be fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Ram leered at her "The antidote didn't save these people, so what's going to save us?"

Panic broke out once again and Amber ended the meeting. It was the only way to pacify her tribe. She ordered Ram to stay in the bridge and translate the controls.

"I don't take orders from you." Drawled Ram. Amber was about to slap Ram when Jay grabbed him and put him in a headlock.

"Now you do." Said Jay. He choked Ram a little harder with each word.

"Well, Ram what do you say?" asked Amber

"I'll do anything you want," Ram gasped out "Just make the brute release me."

Amber and Jay shared a triumphant grin and Jay let go of Ram.

"Now back to work!" yelled Amber. She and Jay left for dinner, leaving Ram and Jack in the bridge. When they arrived in the kitchen, they found the tribe had descended into a downward spiral of cabin fever. It was Salene, Gel, and Brady at the heart of the panic.

"Everyone just quiet down." Said Jay, his voice commanding authority.

"All of us are dead if we don't get off this ship!" exclaimed Lex.

"Everyone, just be quiet!" cried Amber.

The mania only increased and Amber couldn't get the tribe's attention. Ruby and Slade entered the kitchen and Amber made a beeline over to them.

"So, Ruby, I need Lithium to make a guest appearance." Said Amber "You game?"

Ruby surveyed the situation in the kitchen. Pretty soon the yelling would escalate to fighting. Trudy wasn't present and Ruby found that strange. Panic was like catnip to Trudy, she couldn't refuse it.

"I'm in.," said Ruby with a Loco grin. She climbed up on the table and stomped her white boots on the table. She missed the heavy black ass-kicking boots she wore back in the Loco days.

"Everybody, listen up!" Lithium used her drill sergeant voice. She attainted it by training every Loco there ever was.

"Well well well, little miss Loco's come out to play." Lex smirked to himself. Ruby was quite surprised when he showed up in her saloon. He was the only Mallrat that remembered Lithium. Luckily, Lex didn't know Ruby was Zoot's sister.

"I said quiet!" Ruby thundered out. The yelling died down and Amber joined Ruby on top of the table.

"Everyone, please make a line. I will try to handle all of your issues and concerns." Said Amber.

Just as the line was beginning to form, Salene shoved her way to the front with Brady in her arms.

"Salene, back of the line!" Ruby barked.

"No, No I have to tell you guys!" Salene motioned for them to come closer. Amber and Ruby crouched down so Salene could whisper in Amber's ear.

"Trudy is missing," hissed Salene "No one's seen her in a day."

"Trudy's missing?" Ruby cried, horrified.

The Mallrats gathered in the kitchen overheard that Trudy was missing and began to panic all over again. Amber threw up her arms in defeat and stormed out of the kitchen with Ruby in pursuit.

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Ruby.

"We're going to gather some people with common sense and form search parties." Said Amber.

"That's your master plan?" asked Ruby.

"Yes it is and if you don't like it-" Amber was cut off by Ruby covering her mouth.

"I love the plan, Amber and I know where to find those recruits." Ruby released Amber's jaw and they hugged.

"I'm so glad we found you, Lith." Said Amber "After Bray was taken I had no one left."

"I am glad we're together again, I just wish it was under better circumstances," Said Ruby "Now come on we have a tribe to save."

They walked along the deck with their arms linked. Some ties can never be severed. Ruby and Amber's Loco bond was stronger than ever before. Maybe, one day that bond will bring all of the clan back together.

**Author's Note: Kisenian needs a love intrest. I need the Mallrats Most Eligible bachelor . Why don't you guys nominate the Mallrat guys through my reviews. Just post who you think Kisenian's Lover should be. Thanks for reading and I hope everybody votes , You guys are awesome I'm really glad some of you have gotten caught up in this story ;I love everyone. Goognight.**


	7. Abandon Ship

Two days had passed and the search for Trudy continued. Some concluded that she wanted to be alone and was hiding from everyone. Salene cared for Brady and the others took shifts searching. Jack and Ram were in the bridge, trying to figure out how to turn the ship. They had spotted land and concluded that they were in the Pacific islands somewhere. They were turned in the wrong direction though and needed to activate the engine to steer. Amber checked up on them and went to spread the news to the rest of the tribe. Ruby was leaning against a cargo container, watching Slade jog. He was sweaty and shirtless his bare muscles caught Amber's eyes. She joined Ruby and they watched him together.

"He's sexy isn't he?" said Amber. Ruby grinned at her.

"Very sexy but he's no Zane." Ruby sighed. She was right; Slade was gorgeous but Zane had a heart of gold. He was kind and gentle and didn't deserve his death.

"Remember Jynx's test?" Ruby laughed.

"I wasn't there but I heard all about it," said Amber "The inner circle dressed up in black and threw her in a van, grab-team style."

"Zane tortured her," said Ruby "It was beautiful."

"Enough moping, watch Slade." Said Amber. Slade continued jogging, weaving in and out around the cargo containers. Amber and Ruby weren't the only ones watching Slade. Ebony was crouched behind a container like a cat, waiting for Slade to jog by. Then she would pounce. Slade rounded a corner and Ebony sprang into his path. The near collision almost knocked him down.

"This place is just full of nasty surprises." Said Slade. Ebony did her best to look humble and apologetic as she stepped up to Slade.

"Slade, I'm so sorry for what I said." Said Ebony. Slade crossed his arms and glared at her.

"Too little too late," snapped Slade "Goodbye Ebony."

Before he could turn to run away, Ebony slashed his face with her nails.

"You bitch!" yelled Slade. He spun and stormed away. Ebony was sad Slade wouldn't be joining her little voyage, but it was time for plan B. Ebony had Trudy locked in the engine room and planned to swap her for a lifeboat. She crossed the deck to Ruby and Amber and stood before them.

"What is it, Jynx?" asked Amber. Ruby laughed at the fear written on Ebony's face.

"I have something you want, and I'll give it to you if you help me." Ebony sneered at them. Ruby nodded to Amber and she left with Ebony so they could talk in private. Once they were concealed behind a cargo container, Amber grabbed Jynx's neck and pinned her to the container.

"I wouldn't do that if you want Trudy back." Snarled Ebony. Amber cocked her arm back to punch her but let it hover rather than swinging.

"Where is she?" demanded Amber.

"She's safe and I'll tell you where she is in exchange for a lifeboat." Ebony grinned triumphantly.

"Why didn't you just steal it?" asked Amber, releasing her.

"I need someone to help lower it, it's a two-man job." Replied Ebony.

They started walking to the back of the deck where the lifeboats were rigged up. Ebony already had her things in the one she wanted.

"Trudy's in the engine room." Said Ebony. She climbed into the little boat and Amber began lowering her down. _Good riddance_ she thought. Just as the boat touched the water, the Jzhao Li shuddered and began creaking to life. Amber let go of the rope and started running for the heart of the ship. Ebony took care of the rest. She just had to cut the ropes from the ship and presto! She was free of the Mallrats and Amber. Amber flung open one of the hatches on deck and started climbing down the ladder. With the engine starting up, Trudy would be getting pretty hot right about now. Amber jumped off the ladder and landed on her feet, she took off running following the signs for the engine room. She could feel tremors coming from the ship underneath her and it felt like the Jzhao Li was changing direction. She came to the locked metal door of the engine room, and flung it open. The entire room was thick with steam and Amber couldn't see Trudy.

"Trudy!" Amber called out. She tripped over something on the floor and landed next to the unconscious Trudy. She had passed out from the heat.

"Trudy, Trudy wake up!" Amber slapped her. Trudy groaned and her eyes cracked open.

"Ebony knocked me out," moaned Trudy "Where's Brady?"

Amber got Trudy to her feet and they headed for the door.

"Ebony's gone and Brady's fine," Amber tried the door but it had locked behind her "Damn it!"

"Oh my god we're going to die," screamed Trudy "We're going to die down here!"

Amber continued to beat on the door but it was no use, they were trapped and the heat from the engine was stifling. Surely they would succumb to it soon.

Up on deck, everyone was being loaded into the remaining lifeboat. Ram had hijacked the ship and set the autopilot. The problem was he and Jack couldn't turn it back off. Both of them ran from the bridge and began gathering the tribe. They had to abandon ship before it ran aground. Jay had gathered everyone but Amber and Trudy. Salene and the children were being loaded into the lifeboat first. Zak and Sammy were holding the ropes, ready to lower the little vessel into the water.

"You got this under control?" asked Jay.

"You know it, now go find them!" yelled Zak. Jay was about to take off when he bumped into Ruby.

"Jay, she went below deck through that hatch," Ruby pointed "You have to find them!"

"I will, Ruby, go get on the lifeboat!" Jay exclaimed. They both set off in opposite directions. Ruby to the lifeboat and Jay below deck. He climbed down the ladder and began running through the corridors. The ship was so huge there was no way he'd find her in time. Jay screamed his frustration and kicked a wall. Suddenly, he heard a muffled cry through the engine roaring.

"Keep yelling," Jay called "I'm coming."

He followed the cries to a locked door. A sign read, "Engine room."

Jay kicked the door in and a wave of intense heat engulfed him. Amber and Trudy were huddled against the wall. Jay grabbed both of them by the hand and pulled them up.

"Come on, we have to run!" Jay said as he ushered them along. He and Amber supported Trudy between them as they hustled along. She had been weakened by prolonged exposure to the heat. They came to the ladder and Amber went first. Jay lifted Trudy and Amber pulled her up onto the deck. They ran for the lifeboat and made sure Trudy got in first. Amber and Jay came behind her and the entire tribe began to make their escape. Sammy and Zak carefully lowered them into the water Suddenly, the mechanism stuck and they were hanging, suspended in the air beside the huge ship. Besides the waves lapping against the Jzhao Li, everything was silent.

Rain and Martin were in bed together. It was a hot, lazy afternoon and everyone was resting in the shade. Their tribe was fond of siestas when the weather was hot. They had left their Loco lives behind and embraced a simple life style. Ebony and Zoot were no more, but Rain and Martin lived on. Rain was kissing her way down Martin's chest. She was straddled on top of him, grinding her hips against him with each little kiss. He moaned his desire into her ear and she shivered. Even after all this time together Martin's touch still drove her crazy. Their carnal activities were interrupted by the pitter-patter of little feet. Their son, Flux came running into their hut and jumped on the cot with his parents. Rain rolled off of Martin and pulled back the blanket so Flux could climb in. Both of them were still clothed so he hadn't walked in on anything too naughty. He was a beautiful little boy with Martin's blue eyes and Rain's skin tone. They had vowed not to cut his hair until he could meet Kisenian. His dark hair was cornrowed and it hung to his shoulders.

"Why aren't you with the rest of the children?" Rain scolded. He was meant to be at the beach on a "field trip" with the rest of the tribe's little ones. Kind of like a tropical kindergarten. Martin scooped Flux into his arms and kissed the boy's head.

"He had to come see his beautiful Mommy." Martin grinned. He was a big marshmallow Rain was forever the enforcer.

"Well then I suppose it's ok," Rain scooted closer so Flux was nestled between them "But never run off on your own again." She chided sternly.

"I sorry Mommy." Flux said in his best apology voice.

"It's ok, baby." Said Rain. She gave both of her men a kiss and they laid together. Flux fell asleep and they watched him in adoration.

"It was all worth it wasn't it?" asked Martin.

"It was." Replied Rain. They both eventually fell into slumber along with their son. Martin dreamed of a maze of mirrors. A maze he couldn't escape from.

**Author's note: Please review. I was in the ER two days ago and I moved cross-country so getting this chapter out was hard work. I need some love from my readers.**


	8. Collision

The lifeboat hung, suspended in the air from the Jzhao Li. Slade and Zak stood at either end of the lifeboat, trying to unstick the mechanism. It was no use. The Jzhao Li continued to hurtle toward shore, picking up speed. Before the beach had seemed so warm and inviting, now it was sure to be their doom. As a last resort, Slade began climbing one of the ropes. If he could just reach a little higher and focus his weight, surely it would free the rope.

"Slade, No!" yelled Ruby. He winked down at her and continued to climb. Sammy looked over the edge of the boat, if it dropped from this height they would die from the impact. Sammy stood and moved toward Zak's end of the boat. He jumped and caught the rope, climbing across from Slade.

"Sammy, get back here!" yelled Amber. Sammy shook his head and heaved himself higher, propelling up the side of the ship.

"It's time for me to man up!" Sammy yelled down to Amber. The Mallrats watched in horror as Sammy and Slade began to pull on the ropes.

"Sammy, on my count!" yelled Slade. Sammy nodded over at him. "One, two!" On "Three" both of them kicked off the side of the Jzhao Li. The mechanism creaked and suddenly the lifeboat began to drop. Their combined weight got the ropes moving again. Slade hung onto his rope for dear life as he plummeted toward the water. He managed to scramble back into the lifeboat, clinging onto the edge until Zak pulled him back in. Sammy wasn't so lucky. His rope snapped when the lifeboat hit the water and he fell short. The ocean swallowed him and he disappeared underneath the Jzhao Li as it sped toward shore. Slade's rope was still attached to the huge ship and it dragged the lifeboat along on its final voyage. Amber and Trudy curled around their children in the center of the boat, determined to protect them. Zak was trying to saw through the rope with a dull knife but they were out of time. The Jzhao Li ran aground, snagging on some rocks or maybe it was a coral reef. The sudden stop caused the lifeboat to go flying forward, the force of physics sent them spinning wilding. The rope snapped and the lifeboat crashed nose-first into the shallow surf. It rolled a few times, flinging out some of the tribe before it capsized completely. Amber and Trudy were the first to surface, holding Brady and little Bray above water. After swimming a short distance they were able to stand in the waist-deep water.

"Is Brady okay?" asked Amber. Little Bray screamed and flailed his arms but other than being upset he was fine.

"She's great." Said Trudy, hoisting Brady higher on her hip. Brady was crying as well but Trudy seemed to be pretty calm.

"We need to get to shore and look for the others. I think the lifeboat sank." Said Amber. She and Trudy began wading to the beach. So far, they hadn't found anyone else. Amber's leg made contact with something under the water and she called out for Trudy. Amber fished around until she felt a body, then she pulled. May came floating up she had been knocked out during the crash. All the color was gone from her face but she seemed to be alive.

"Trudy, take Bray." Said Amber. Trudy held both of the children and carried them the rest of the way to shore. Amber dragged May along with them. Amber compressed her chest on the beach until she coughed out a lungful of salt water.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Said Trudy. May spluttered and sat up.

"The others?" said May.

"We don't know yet," said Amber "I think most of us got dumped before the boat sank. I'm sure they're fine, they just had to swim farther than us."

The three women sat on the beach, trying to comfort the babies. Just when Amber was about to give up hope, she spotted figures further down the beach.

"Look!" exclaimed Trudy. Some of the tribe had come out of the ocean further down the beach and they ran to reunite with Amber, Trudy and May. Amber ran into Jay's arms and they shared a kiss. The tribe reveled on the beach, overjoyed to have made it out alive. May was so thrilled to see Zak she accidentally knocked him down into the sand. He laughed and hugged her back. Lex was resting in the sand with Gel; she stroked his hair adoringly and crooned at him. The Mallrats were even happy that Ram was still among them. Suddenly, they heard a scream from down the beach and Amber realized they were missing a few heads. . Amber and Jay sprang into action, running toward the sound of one of the girls screaming Slade, Ruby, Lottie and Sammy hadn't come out of the water. Sammy was certainly dead but what of Ruby, Lottie and Slade?

Once again, Kisenian and Bray were captured. After spending the night in the abandoned jeep, they continued moving in the direction they surmised it had come from. They came stumbling into a strange ghost town. It seemed to be fairy-tale themed with a castle-like structure and an amusement park. They had wandered around, open-mouthed at their surroundings. There were all sorts of strange rides and displays, all fairy-tale centric. It seemed like the place was designed for children or maybe parents with small children. It was like a mammoth dinosaur skeleton, a reminder of the old world. They didn't have very long to marvel at their surroundings. Bray got cracked over the head before he could cry out to Kisenian. When he woke, he was tied to a bed in a dim room. He looked down at his infected leg and saw it had been cleaned and bandaged.

"Kisenian?" he called for his sister. His vision focused and he saw there was another bed in the room.

"I'm here," Said Kisenian. She was tied down as well. "You ok?"

"Yeah I think so," said Bray "Any guesses about where we are?"

Before Kisenian could respond, the door swung open. A little boy and a girl entered the room. The girl seemed to be about the same age as Bray and she moved without looking where she was going. There was something sad yet regal about the way she carried herself. Kisenian surmised that she was blind from the way she moved. Bray was stunned by the mysterious girl's beauty and hadn't made the connection yet.

"Who are you?" asked Bray. The girl sat on the foot of his bed and rested her hands her lap. The little boy went over to Kisenian's bed and peeked over the side at her in wonder.

"I think the better question is who are you," said the girl "What's your tribe?"

"This one looks like a Zootist, Emma." Said the little boy, nodding at Kisenian.

"We're not Zootists!" yelled Kisenian. Emma reached out and touched Bray's face, feeling his tattoo.

"A pretty design but it says nothing about your tribe," Stated Emma "Got any more?"

"Let me explain," said Bray "We're not Zootists."

Emma reached out to touch his arm and felt her way up his shoulder until she came to the Loco tattoo on his back.

"Then why do you have their marks?" said Emma "Shannon, check the girl."

The little boy, Shannon approached Kisenian carefully. She struggled at first but Bray called at her to stop.

"Kisenian, just show them already!" snapped Bray. Kisenian turned on her side and let Shannon examine the large Loco tattoo on her lower back. He gasped and backed away from her.

"What is it, Shannon?" said Emma. She got up and came over to Kisenian.

"Her mark," said Shannon "It says _'Zoot & Kisenian' _with some Zootist designs"

"So?" said Emma "I'm sure all the Zoot groupies have one."

Shannon shook his head and hid behind Emma. Bray and Kisenian were silent, waiting for what was to come next.

"That's not all," said Shannon "It says _'Power'_ under Zoot and '_Chaos_' under Kisenian and….and.."

"And what, Shannon?" snapped Emma.

"It says '_Two of the same, Loco Blood In My Veins'" _Shannon finished. Emma put her hand on his shoulder and began to back out of the room. They departed without another word and locked the door behind them. Kisenian and Bray yelled for them to come back but they were ignored.

"That went well." Sighed Bray, resting his head back on the bed.

"We are so screwed," Said Kisenian "I just had to get a huge tattoo."

Unbeknownst to Bray and Kisenian Shannon was eavesdropping on them. He was crouched on the other side with his ear to the door. He waited and listened carefully to all of their conversation before reporting back to Emma.

**Author's note: I really hope you guys liked it. What characters would you like to read more about? In the next chapter things are really gonna get moving so speak now.**


	9. Calling All Angels

Kisenian calling his name roused bray from a deep slumber. He must have dozed off after Emma's visit. Bray didn't know what to make of Emma. She hadn't hurt them but she was keeping them prisoner. Bray still felt somewhat dazed about their current situation. Could it be another reality space simulation? Was Eloise sitting in a dark room, watching them on a computer screen and laughing? This place was so strange; they had only seen the outside for a few minutes. The fairytale-themed village was quite creepy and Bray had no idea how many people lived here. Was it just Emma and Shannon or were there more of them? More importantly, what about Amber and his child? He'd heard rumors that both were dead. He also heard that she married Zoot and had twins so rumors weren't a very reliable source. Had Eloise figured out that they staged Zoot's death or was she just as clueless as the city?

"What is it?" said Bray. Kisenian sighed heavily.

"Got an escape plan yet?" she asked.

"Does it look like I've got one?" Bray snapped. Kisenian instantly recoiled from him and went silent. Bray felt a wave of anguish over hurting Kisenian's feelings. He was big brother after all; it was his job to keep both of them from sinking into despair. Kisenian had been so strong at the Zootist compound, lashing out and fighting when their odds were stacked. "You know that kick you gave Eloise was priceless." Bray said after a moment. Kisenian laughed and began to warm.

"Which one?" she said

"All of them," said Bray fondly "I've got a question for you."

"Shoot." Kisenian lifted her head and stared across the room at him.

"The Techno guy that hid you," Bray started "What was his name?"

Kisenian was dead silent for a moment, and then she started to open up.

"His name was Mega but I called him Josh." She stared away sadly.

"Then you were an item?" Bray was quite curious now. He'd never known his sister to take a lover. It just wasn't her style.

"It was more than that," her voice shook "We were both running away from something, hiding."

How could Kisenian begin to describe her relationship with Mega? He was as cold and calculating as she was scary and fierce. They were quite the pair. Mega created a fake Techno identity for her and kept her safe from the inside. She hadn't seen him since he left for the city and she wondered if he was dead now.

"Do you know what happened to him?" asked Bray. Kisenian shook her head.

"Vanished into thin air, just like Venom and Zoot," she said, "It seems friends of ours have the unfortunate habit of just disappearing."

Bray was about to respond when the door banged open. It swung open with such force it was nearly torn from the hinges. Emma came storming in, clearly on the warpath. She stomped over to Bray's bed and grabbed him by the hair.

"Watch it!" yelled Kisenian, she struggled with her ropes.

"Tell me everything about the Zoot secret," Emma snarled and yanked Bray's hair even harder "I said tell me everything! Now!"

Bray and Kisenian exchanged a look across the room, and then Bray began to speak.

Amber and Jay had found Slade, Lottie, and Ruby. Lottie and Ruby were both miraculously unhurt. They had been among the ones that got dumped out before the lifeboat capsized. Slade hadn't been so lucky. There was a huge piece of metal sticking out of his side and he had a head wound that was bleeding profusely. Amber dropped to her knees beside Ruby and examined Slade's wound. She felt so helpless, like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dam. She wished she could plug up Slade's wound and keep all the pain from pouring out. Ruby was beside herself. Why had she said all those terrible things? That Slade could never be as perfect as Zane that Slade could never measure up to Zane at all. Now here he was, certain to die a tragically young and bloody death just like Zane. Jay's voice pulled Amber and Ruby from their mental prisons.

"Amber," said Jay "What do we do?"

Amber closed her eyes and shook herself. She called on Venom and her inner strength, like it was a force to draw energy from. Suddenly she felt far surer of herself.

"Jay, take Lottie," Amber said calmly "Bring me bandages, medical supplies, anything you can salvage go!"

"Got it," said Jay, taking Lottie's hand "Come on."

Jay gently led the little girl away from the gruesome scene. No one wanted her to see Slade die.

"What are we going to do?" Ruby was calm despite her emotional involvement. She'd had a front row seat at more than a few massacres; Slade's wound wasn't so bad.

"We're going to do what Sully would do," Amber replied "We're going to get that piece of metal out."

Slade suddenly began to groan and his eyes cracked open. Two blonde-headed angels smiled down at him. God, they were beautiful. One angel was comforting the other they seemed to be close. Maybe they were sisters? Could angels even have sisters? Slade felt the searing hot pain in his side and he focused on one of the angels. Her name was Ruby and he loved her that was all he could think about. He reached up to touch her face and she began to cry. Perfect, crystalline tears slid down her face like pearls. A third angel came walking up them. It was a male with a powerful build and bright white hair. His huge wingspan stretched out behind him. He knelt by Slade and gave something to Ruby.

"You have lovely wings." Slade murmured before he passed out. Jay looked down at him, confounded.

"What did he just say?" said Jay. Amber took some gauze from Ruby and began soaking up blood so they could see the wound better.

"He said you had lovely wings, Jay," Amber stated "Go keep an eye on Ram, will you?"

Jay was hesitant; he didn't want to leave them alone to deal with Slade's injuries. Somehow, Jay knew the girls would save Slade. If they could. He walked off down the beach and began another headcount. Undistracted, Ruby began helping Amber. Once the wound was clean and dry, they began the difficult part. Amber had seen Sully deliver babies, do stitches, and pull bullets out of people. His presence in the early Loco days was a blessing and Amber learned at his feet. She wasn't as good as him though. She lacked the soft, gentle touch that had saved so many lives. Still, today she would do Sully proud, wherever he was.

"Ok, Ruby," said Amber "Once I pull it out we have to close the wound really fast, is the needle ready?"

Ruby had taken a tiny sewing kit Jay brought them and set up the needle with enough thread for Slade's wound.

"I wish Sully was here," said Ruby "He was so gifted at this."

"I know," said Amber "One, two."

On "three" Amber removed the metal from Slade's side. She was able to stitch the skin back together in record time while Ruby held the wound closed. They didn't know if Slade would live or die, but his surgery was a success.

_Slade was having an out-of-body experience. He watched from over Ruby's shoulder as she helped Amber treat his wound. He stared at himself, lying there on the sand and wondered how he could be in two places at the same time._

_ "It's because you're dead." Came a gloomy voice. Slade looked behind him and saw Sammy moodily throwing rocks at the water. Hadn't Sammy gone down with the ship?_

_ "Get lost, kid." Growled a menacing voice. Sammy threw an annoyed look over his shoulder and vanished. Slade was still caught in the wonder of it all. Was this Heaven? Were Amber and Ruby angels? Was Sammy really dead too? Before Slade could react, another kid appeared on the beach. He was tall and handsome with a clean, black Mohawk that was currently down. His long, black hair fell to his shoulders and his green eyes pierced Slade's soul. _

_ "Who are you?" demanded Slade. The kid shook his head sadly and knelt by Ruby. He touched her face but she didn't see him._

_ "She's a fascinating creature, isn't she?" he marveled. Slade was curious about how the stranger knew Ruby._

_ "Who are you?" Slade repeated._

_ "I'm Zidane but you can call me Zane, Slade." Zane finally introduced himself. _

_ "Are you dead too?" asked Slade._

_ "I am," replied Zane "But more importantly, you're not. Go back."_

_Zane crossed his arms and stared Slade down. He wasn't about to let him die and leave Ruby alone. _

_ "What do you mean?" asked Slade._

_ "Josh told me to tell you hello." Said Zane. He grinned and cocked his arm back. Before Slade could so much as blink Zane slugged him in the face. Slade fell and fell through the blackness. At one pint he even saw his brother Mega's face before he dropped into the sand. Was he back in the land of the living? _

He fell back into slumber and felt Ruby's hands on his face. Angels walked earth on this day and Slade was alive. For now.

**Author's note: I really hope you guys likes. Please review I really need to hear from you guys. I found myself thinking, damn! I wish Zane and Slade could meet. Then I wrote this. :D**


	10. Survivors

Jynx was truly in a bind. Her oh-so-clever escape from the Jzhao Li resulted in disaster. The current took the lifeboat further out to sea and she was unable to reach the shore. She even jumped out and attempted to swim but the undertow was too strong. Jynx barely made it back to the lifeboat. Now, she was behind the wheel, trying to steer the tiny boat to the beach that kept getting further away. Eventually she gave up and collapsed on the deck in despair. She was going to die here, whether she drowned or starved nothing changed the fact she was going to die. Why did her most carefully laid plans always unravel on her? She nearly took over the Locos back in the day but Zoot stomped out her mutiny and banished her. Then she was set up to be leader of the Locos and after her cousin Ebony left with Zoot. Jynx assumed Ebony's identity and ruled the Locos for a while. Then the Chosen came along and ruined everything. The Guardian knew she wasn't the real Ebony; he met the real Ebony in school along with Zoot. No matter where she went or what she did, her plays for power always crumbled before her eyes. She wondered what happened to her cousin and Zoot.

"I hope she lost that stupid baby and Zoot." Jynx said aloud to herself. It was a horrible thing to say but at this moment Jynx wanted nothing more than for Ebony to suffer like she was suffering. Maybe the royal couple was dead, that would be even better. Jynx reached for her pack and pulled out the journal. There was a lot that she didn't know about going on behind the scenes in the Loco days. For example, Zoot ordered Lithium and Kisenian to kill Jynx after he "died". She only survived out of sheer luck. Kisenian was running late that day and Ruby had just terminated a pregnancy so neither of them was able to complete the mission. Why couldn't that same luck help her now? Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard the sound of an engine. She peeked over the side of the lifeboat and saw a cruiser approaching. They had definitely spotted the lifeboat and were coming for it. Jynx had no choice but to hide and hope for the best. She covered herself with a blanket and leaned against the side of the boat, trying to blend in. The engine got closer and stopped. For the first time in a long time, Ebony was terrified. She felt helpless, even. She heard the sound of four or five people moving around and talking. They came onto her boat and the blanket was ripped off of her immediately. All of them were men dressed in black with strange hats, almost like berets. She began to feel post-traumatic stress coming on from her initiation into the Locos. Zoot and his inner circle dressed in black with ski masks and kidnapped her. They tortured her for hours before Sully intervened. Sully, why had she ever left him? For Jay of all people. As the military-style grab team dragged her onto their cruiser, she longed for Sully. She missed his smile, his touch, that sweet demeanor. More than anything, she wished he were by her side right now. If she died today, she would die with a heart full of love for the only man she ever truly cared for. Sure, Bray and Jay were beautiful heroic types but neither of them made her feel the way Sully did. One of the men shoved her down on the deck of the cruiser and ordered her to stay still. She looked up and saw a girl with a hideously scarred face looking back at her. Ebony nodded respectfully and the girl's face twisted into an evil grin.

"What's your name?" asked the girl. Ebony kept her eyes on the floor and decided to be submissive until she had a handle on her situation.

"I'm Ebony." Her voice was barely a whisper. The ugly girl sneered at her.

"Well, Ebony," she said "the Commander is going to have some fun with you. He likes to tear up the pretty ones."

Ebony didn't ask what she meant, she just assumed the worst.

"Emma, please be reasonable!" exclaimed Bray. She had his neck pinned against the bed with her elbow and she was slowly applying pressure. Bray gasped for air and Kisenian screamed in fury.

"You bitch," she yelled "Fight me instead!"

Emma turned and faced Kisenian, giving her a clever grin.

"Oh I'm not coming anywhere near you," said Emma "You look like a biter."

Kisenian let out a roar of frustration and began fighting against her bonds again. Emma listened and smiled to herself.

"Emma," said Bray "Please, we'll tell you everything if you tell us what's going on here. We're not Zootists or slavers just let me explain."

Emma cocked her head to the side like she was considering it.

"This was a military compound built to house soldiers and their families," Emma began "After the virus we all lived together for a time. We're called the Roaches. Then some of us went mad – they left here and became the Fallen, a violent and feral tribe that deals in slaves among other things. Some of the Roaches went up north to explore but they never came back. You know anything about that, Bray?"

"We don't know a damn thing about your friends," yelled Kisenian "We were prisoners!"

Now she'd gone and done it. For all they knew Emma could be in contact with Eloise. Bray would die before he ever went back to the compound.

"Prisoners," said Emma "Where?"

Neither Bray nor Kisenian answered. The room went silent as a grave. Emma sighed and reached down into her boot. She pulled out a knife, much like the ones Zoot and Kisenian used to carry. She stood and walked over to Kisenian's bed. Emma grabbed Kisenian's braids and pressed the knife to her throat.

"Why do you look like Zootists," she demanded, "Tell me the Zoot secret or die!"

Kisenian smiled up at her and pressed her neck into the blade a tiny bit, it didn't even break the skin it was so dull.

"You know I had knives just like that but mine were actually sharp." Kisenian narrowed her eyes and waited for Emma's reaction. Emma raised the knife in the air and brought it down swiftly. Bray cried out just before the blade touched Kisenian's chest.

"Stop," Bray was frantic "I'll tell you everything, don't hurt my sister!"

Emma put the knife back in her boot and came to sit on Bray's bed.

"That's much better," she said "Now tell me."

"Don't Bray!" yelled Kisenian. He ignored her.

"Emma, we look like Zootists because we are the original Zootists, you ever heard of the Locos?" he paused and Emma nodded "Me, Kisenian, and our brother Martin started the Locos. Since the Zootist movement started we've been running for our lives, them and the Chosen are our greatest enemies."

"You're lying," snapped Emma "Zoot started the Locos, and after he died the Zootists. Your markings are all wrong, have you ever even seen a real Zootist?"

"Our marks are Inner Circle Loco tattoos, each one is unique," Bray was starting to get frustrated "Martin, my kid brother was Zoot. If you don't believe me call Shannon in here to look at Kisenian again. She's his twin and the Zootists are dying to get their hands on us. Tell her what they did to you at the compound, Kisenian."

Emma turned to Kisenian, waiting for a violent reaction. Instead, Kisenian began to sob and stopped struggling with her bonds.

"They wanted a child of Zoot's bloodline," her voice was shaky "They put me in reality space anesthesia and, and she took them. She took them all." Kisenian was unable to continue. She turned away from them and continued to cry.

"Took what?" asked Emma.

"They did an egg retrieval procedure on her, maybe they removed her ovaries. The Zootists stole all of her future children and her ability to procreate. Still think we're lying?" asked Bray.

"Emma please," whimpered Kisenian "I need my brother please untie us. Please, please just let me be close to my brother." Tears rolled down her cheeks. Without a word, Emma began to untie Bray. He thanked her once he was loose and she released Kisenian as well. Kisenian fell into Bray's arms and cried into his chest.

"Shhhh," Bray comforted her "I'm here, I love you so much Kisenian I'll never let anything happen to you ever again."

Kisenian felt an arm around her shoulder and was surprised to see Emma consoling her too.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," said Emma "You're a survivor like me, and survivors have to stick together. You can stay or go, you're no longer prisoners."

Kisenian and Bray exchanged looks of disbelief. It appeared that they had a new ally and their freedom once again. Bray knew they would survive this odyssey, that's what his clan did best. Survive.

**Author's note: Sorry it took so long to update. Please please review I really need to hear from you guys it keeps me going. Which characters should get more screentime? Any pairings you think would be good? I want to get Kisenian and Jay together but it's going to take some time. Also, who is your favorite female and male character? And which couple do you like the best? (besides Zebony)**


	11. Suprise, MotherFer!

Sully could not believe his eyes. For a moment he thought the dope was causing him to hallucinate. It didn't become real until one of Legion's soldiers barked at him to start categorizing the fresh group of slaves. There she was, broken and beaten but just as beautiful as the day they met. Somehow, some way, Jynx was standing on the deck of the oil rigger. She hadn't noticed Sully yet and stood shackled with the other prisoners. He hadn't seen her since the final battle with Ram and shortly after he was captured again. He moved through the slaves quickly, shoving them into different groups and saving the women for last. Jynx's eyes snapped over to him and locked on his face. Her eyes were a bluish-gray in the sun and captivated him once again. She opened her mouth, about to shout his name when he raised his arm and made a quick slashing motion at his throat. Jynx instantly shut her mouth and waited until Sully came over to examine her.

"Don't speak," he hissed while checking her teeth "We only have a moment. Don't answer any questions with questions, don't resist the crew, and make an impression on the captain, you understand?"

"What kind of impression?" Jynx whispered as he spun her around, running a hand through her hair and rotating a shoulder. He was purposely drawing out their time to talk before Blake surfaced. He marched her over to a group of girls, all relatively healthy and nice-looking.

"Pick one of these girls," he whispered, "When the time is right, hit her. Do everything I said and you should survive. Make sure she gets a shot in so they bring you to me, got it?"

Jynx nodded frantically. Sully rubbed a spot of dirt off her face and went to stand with the rest of the crew. Karin nudged him and winked one of her scarred eyes.

"You like that one, Sully?" she sneered. Sully shrugged and looked down then wished he hadn't. Karin was holding the book. The book that contained every secret Zoot ever had. It started out as Sully's journal then it was passed to Zoot who left it with Amber who left it on the trawler where Jynx snagged it. Sully didn't have time to panic because Blake was swaggering his way across the deck. He walked among the captives munching on an apple, giving them the "talk" as the crew referred to it.

"During your time with us I ask only one thing," he said pleasantly, making his way over to Jynx's group. Jynx was trying to remember everything Sully told her but Blake was quite distracting. He reminded her of Zoot before he went soft. Blake strode up to the girl next to Jynx, having noticed some stretch marks on her thighs.

"You, have you ever been pregnant?" he asked, voice even. The girl made a face.

"Why?" she asked. Blake's face twisted in dark rage and he threw his apple on the ground. This was Jynx's moment. She head-butted the girl and both of them went down, Jynx landing on top of the girl. She brought her legs up and hit the back of Jynx's head with the shackles on her ankles. Blake barked at the crew and two of his men separated them.

"You, girl what's your name?" he asked Jynx.

"Ebony." She did her best to smolder at him even with blood dripping down the back of her head.

"Well, Ebony what'd you hit her for?" he seemed to be amused.

"Because, sir," she began "You never answer a question with another question, it's just rude. Sir."

Blake's face twisted into a grin and he looked Ebony up and down appreciatively.

"Good answer," he looked over at Sully "Clean her up, then bring her to me." Sully nodded obediently.

"What about the other one?" asked Karin, referring to the girl Jynx jumped. Blake scooped her up off the deck and dumped her over the side. She fell screaming into the ocean with a quiet splash; tiny as an ant by the time she hit the water.

"What other one?" Blake replied with a laugh. As he walked away and Sully came to collect her all she could think was _That was almost me. _She looked over at Sully as they walked away, searching his face for that spark of life that made her fall in love with him. It was gone. Totally and completely gone. How long would she last on Legion's ship with no allies and Sully in his weakened state? Then she remembered the book and a wicked smile twisted her face. Just how valuable was Zoot's word to this tribe?

Amber was running herself into the ground trying to keep the remaining Mallrats focused on making a new home, a camp on the beach. It was like herding cats. Ram scooted off first chance he got with Jay in hot pursuit. Amber needed answers about Ram's strange behavior and who better to get them than Jay? Screeching and hissing interrupted Amber's thoughts and she turned to see Ruby engaged in a shouting match with Trudy.

"Slade needs those," exclaimed Ruby "Give them to me!"

She and Trudy had been scouring the sand for supplies when Trudy came across a bottle of antibiotics. The argument broke out about who should get them and when.

"Brady has a cut, it could get infected," snarled Trudy "We divide them up evenly, that's how Mallrats do things!"

Darryl and Zak had been working on building a shade structure for Slade but paused at the drama taking place before them. They were the only two men left at camp with Jack and Lex out exploring. Gel was sunbathing and taking care of the little ones, baby Bray rested in a swaddle of blankets in the sand with a big hat keeping the sun off him. Brady was fanning him with palm leaves when the fight distracted her. She started to wail and Salene scurried over to pick her up. Ruby made a pass at Trudy and tried to snatch the bottle of pills. Trudy dodged, stumbling backward and staring openmouthed at Ruby.

"You haven't changed at all!" Trudy shrieked "Power and chaos, right Lithium?"

Amber finally got in between them, holding both arms out to keep them apart.

"Are you out of your minds," Amber yelled, "Fighting at a time like this?"

"It wasn't me, Amber," Trudy handed her the bottle of pills "All that time away from the circle made little Lith here a bit twitchy!"

"It seems you need reminding, Trudy," Amber said "You were never a part of the circle." Trudy instantly shut up.

Gel scrunched up her face in confusion.

"Why do you keep calling Ruby that?" Gel verbalized the confusion everyone but Amber was feeling.

Amber pocketed the pills and gestured for Ruby to follow. They started to walk away to check on Slade. Salene yelled something after them that they pretended not to hear. Trudy came to collect Brady from Salene and was confronted about all the mysterious happenings within the Mallrats. Like the mystery doctor that delivered Brady, or the way Dal just appeared one day and never left Trudy's side.

"Even if I told you, and I won't," smirked Trudy "You'd never believe me." Trudy spun on her heel and walked away from all the questions. Questions that would have to be answered soon, before the tribe was torn apart from the inside.

Martin and his wife, Rain were out in the jungle with a hunting party. Their tribe was like a tropical version of the Eco's, living off the sea and jungle isolated in a village near the beach. After fleeing the city they lived among the Ecos for a time so living this way almost felt like home to them. Their little boy, Flux was with the rest of the Native's children, learning about plants and fishing so he could be a hunter when he was old enough. The young heir had no clue who he was or who his parents truly were. Once Martin was a great warlord with many soldiers and a powerful clan called the Locos. Rain was known as Ebony then and they ruled the city together. Until she became pregnant with Flux, and it became apparent Martin would have to choose between his family or the city. He fled the city successfully, even replacing Ebony with her cousin Jynx so someone could pass on the story of his death and make it believable. In the process he'd lost everyone but Ebony. Sully, his twin Kisenian, Bray, Lithium, Zane all of them gone. The worst part was not knowing if they were dead or alive. Martin was distracted from his sorrow by hearing Rain call out for him. He vaulted over a fallen tree using his spear and joined his fellow tribe members. They were all standing around one of their traps, a pit in the ground. Rain heard a twig snap and vanished into the jungle. She chased after a blue and orange blur, easily closing in on her prey. She kicked off her spear for momentum and tackled the man she was chasing. She landed on top of him and held her spear across his throat. His eyes widened in recognition and shock and a single word escaped his mouth before Rain clapped a hand over it, silencing him,

"Ebony!" cried Jack. Only she wasn't Ebony. She was dressed in feathers and a bikini made of plant fibers. Long, golden hair tumbled down her back and her eyes were a deep brown.

"I don't know you little man, but keep quiet." She hissed. Then she called out for one of the warriors in their native tongue. The hunting party came and one of the men took Jack and held him still.

"There's one in the pit." Said Martin, excited. He ripped a vine from a tree and lowered it into the trap. Two of the warriors got behind him and helped pull the vine back up, their clueless quarry calling up to Jack. Finally, a man with chin length raven black hair came to the top of the hole. He looked up and around then he realized he'd come face-to-face with Zoot. For a moment all was still. Lex froze, hanging onto the edge of the pit staring into the face of the devil himself. Martin grinned and stared back into the face of his "killer" he leaned in close and whispered into Lex's ear.

"Surprise, mother****er," he grinned sadistically "Zoot lives."

Lex let go of the vine in pure shock and fell all the way back down into the pit. Martin should have relished the moment but all he could think was _If Lex is here, could Bray be here too? And my sisters? _Martin and Rain followed the hunting party back to the village, confused but hopeful.

**Author's Note: Surprise I'm back! I hope you liked it. Please leave reviews if you want to know what's going on with Kisenian and Bray. That's right I'm holding them hostage :D so review!**


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